Just weeks after a second great postseason run at Loyola-Chicago, Porter Moser took the Oklahoma job back in 2021 and it wasn’t smooth sailing. Each of his first three seasons ended with the Sooners outside the NCAA Tournament. Oklahoma transitioned into the SEC this past year and finally returned to the Big Dance thanks to a fantastic season from the conference as a whole. After all, the Sooners tied for just 12th place in the league.
Regardless of hopes that the Sooners can build on that momentum, nearly everyone from last season is gone, headlined by freshman Jeremiah Fears who became a lottery pick in the NBA Draft. Seniors Kobe Elvis, Duke Miles, and Jalon Moore are all gone and there are numerous holes that Moser and his staff have spent the last few months filling. Expect more production from returners Dayton Forsythe and Mohamed Wague but thankfully a new crop of talent occupies some of the Sooners’ needs.
The crop of freshmen is decent, including Top 60 recruit Alec Blair, but the real winner is the transfer class that contains four fantastic athletes. Tae Davis arrives after sensational production at Notre Dame last season, albeit in a rough season for the Fighting Irish. The Sooners nabbed Derrion Reid from Alabama, a 5-star prospect looking for a bigger opportunity as a sophomore. Another big addition is Xzayvier Brown, a combo guard who was a great scorer at Saint Joseph’s and now transitions to the SEC.
You could legitimately profile any of these four as most important for the Sooners but we’re looking more closely at Nijel Pack. He’s a 6-0 point guard from Indianapolis who’s had quite the career already and arrives in Norman for one last ride. Pack spent a pair of seasons becoming an elite shooter as an underclassman at Kansas State before helping Miami to the Final Four as a junior. He missed most of last season, but in his most recent complete year averaged 13.3 points and 3.6 assists for the Hurricanes.
Pack is a career 40% shooter from outside the arc who can run the point and coordinate this offense. Three years ago he was First Team All-Big 12 and a notable athlete on the rise, but injuries and inconsistency more recently have dulled his star a bit. Regardless, Pack lands himself a major role for Oklahoma and a return to form now healthy would go a long way towards another trip to the Big Dance both for him and these Sooners.
Need is a strong word, but the Sooners need Pack to elevate this roster with his play. Knocking down 40% from outside the arc is one thing, but Pack can really become a decisive point guard if he cuts down on the turnovers and continues unselfish play. These four new additions likely all carve out starting roles in a very tough SEC, but has Moser really added enough to get the Sooners to meaningful wins in March and beyond?